The present invention relates to electrical connectors. More specifically, the present invention relates to zero insertion force (ZIF) sockets.
A common application for ZIF sockets involves connecting a microprocessor to a circuit board. As should be understood, in one type of such socket, the microprocessor includes a plurality of pins extending away therefrom at a surface thereof, and the socket includes a corresponding plurality of pin-receiving apertures in a surface thereof. The microprocessor is initially mounted to the socket such that each pin is initially inserted into the corresponding aperture in a direction generally perpendicular to the socket surface. Thereafter, the microprocessor is urged in a direction generally parallel to the socket surface such that each pin moves in its corresponding aperture into secure contact with a contact in such corresponding aperture.
As may be appreciated, each contact may have one or more pin-contacting blades. Accordingly, achieving secure contact between each pin and each corresponding blade may require that each pin urge a corresponding blade into a spring-loaded condition. While the urging force for one pin and one set of blades may be relatively small, it is to be appreciated that present-day microprocessors can have upwards of 600-800 individual pins. Thus, the urging force for all of the pins and all of the sets of blades may become relatively large. Accordingly, a need exists for a contact design that minimizes the urging force necessary.
In prior art contact designs for the aforementioned microprocessor socket, each pin is captured between and contacts a pair of blades at generally opposing contact points on such pin. However, the potential exists that one blade in a contact will become hyper-extended and lose contact with the corresponding pin. In such a situation, the pin can lose contact with the other blade, thereby resulting in an open connection. In such prior art contact designs, each pin as captured between the pair of blades is contacted by such blades at different longitudinal points on the pin (i.e., at different elevations on the pin). As a result, the pin is subject to unevenly distributed forces which are not directly opposed and which can cause the pin to bend or break, and lose contact with the blades, again thereby resulting in an open connection.
Moreover, in a microprocessor with 600-800 individual densely packed pins, the effort necessary to detect the location of even one such open connection can be quite high, and the ability to fix such open connection may be limited. Accordingly, a need exists for a contact design that minimizes if not eliminates such open connections.
The aforementioned needs are satisfied by an electrical connector for retaining a generally longitudinally extending pin therein, where the connector includes a base and a contact. The base has a surface and defines an aperture that extends from the surface thereinto. The aperture has a contact-receiving portion and a pin-receiving portion arranged adjacent one another along the surface. The pin is initially received in the pin-receiving portion and is then moved along a pin path generally parallel to the surface into the contact-receiving portion. A protrusion extends from the base into the aperture from a first side of the pin path in a direction generally perpendicular thereto.
The contact is retained within the contact-receiving portion and has first and second beams that extend generally perpendicular to the surface of the base. The first beam has a first-contacted surface generally residing on a second side of the pin path generally opposite the first side thereof. The first-contacted surface is relatively closer to the protrusion along the pin path. The second beam has a second-contacted surface generally residing on the first side of the pin path. The second-contacted surface is relatively farther from the protrusion along the pin path. The pin is retained at a positive resting position defined by being in contact with the first beam, the second beam, and the protrusion.